Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with retailers on (a) mitigating and (b) preventing ransomware attacks.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is working in close coordination with law enforcement, the Department for Business and Trade and other relevant government departments to support each of the affected retailers. This includes providing technical expertise and strategic guidance which assist with incident response and recovery.

The NCSC is maintaining active engagement with the wider retail sector to share threat information and offer mitigative guidance aimed at reducing the risk from further incidents.

The Government offers free guidance, tools and training to help businesses improve their cyber resilience. This includes a new Cyber Governance Code of Practice to help boards and directors manage digital risks, and the Cyber Essentials scheme which is highly effective in protecting businesses against cyber-attacks.

Details of any Ministerial and Senior Officials' meetings and engagements can be found in the Department’s quarterly transparency returns on Gov.uk.